EFFECT OF DIETARY TURMERIC-GINGER COMBINATION ON SERUM ELECTROLYTES OF BROILER CHICKEN

The study was conducted to examine the health promoting efficacy of turmeric-ginger combination in the diets of broiler chickens using serum electrolytes. A total of two hundred and forty (240) 1-day old Arbor acres strain of broiler chicks were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated thrice with 16 chicks per replicate (n=48). Five isocaloric-isonitrogeneous experimental diets were formulated in such a way that; birds in group T1 were fed diet containing 1% ginger, 0% turmeric while T2, T3, T4 and T5 groups were fed 0.75%-0.25%; 0.50%-0.50%; 0.25%-0.75% and 0%-1.00% ginger-turmeric combinations, respectively. The feeding trial covered a period of 49 days. There were no significant (P>0.05) difference in terms of chloride (CL), sodium (Na), and aspartate amino transferase (AST). However, there were significant (P<0.05) effects on potassium (K), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), whereby T5 (0% ginger -1% turmeric) recorded the highest value than T4, while T1, T2 and T3 lack significant (P>0.05) difference. Hence, T1 and T2 recorded the higher values in terms of ALT and ALP compared to the remaining treatment groups. Moreover all the serum electrolytes in this study were within the normal reference values of a healthy broiler chicken. The study concluded that, ginger and turmeric has no detrimental effects on serum electrolytes of a broiler chicken. Furthermore, blends of the two phytobiotic feed additives ginger-turmeric combination can substitute commercial antibiotics and impart positive effects on health performances of broiler chickens.